‘They Have No Position’: China Note Lands Mid-Speech, Philippines Defence Chief Fires Back on Stage
A diplomatic confrontation erupted at the Seoul Defence Dialogue after Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro was handed a note outlining China’s position on the South China Sea arbitration while he was speaking on Tuesday. Teodoro stopped his remarks, read the message aloud and immediately challenged Beijing’s arguments.
The note said China’s position on the South China Sea arbitration was “clear, consistent and firm” and rejected the 2016 ruling as contrary to international law. Teodoro responded sharply, questioning how China could invoke international law while rejecting the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS.
When the note stated that China “neither accepts nor recognizes” the arbitration award, Teodoro fired back: “Of course, because you lost.” His remarks drew applause from the audience.
Teodoro then accused Beijing of showing “coercion, bullying and aggression” and said the delivery of the message during an international forum was disrespectful not only to the Philippines but also to South Korea, which hosted the dialogue.
The incident was later clarified by forum organizers. The message had reportedly been handed over by a Chinese military attaché at the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, who asked that it be passed to Teodoro. A forum staff member apparently misunderstood the instruction and delivered it directly to the Philippine minister while he was speaking.
The dispute centers on the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling, which rejected key elements of China’s expansive maritime claims and upheld the Philippines’ legal rights within its exclusive economic zone. Beijing has consistently rejected the ruling as invalid and says the tribunal had no jurisdiction.
China subsequently accused some Philippine officials of “stirring up trouble” and called for an end to actions that it said undermine China-Philippines relations and stability in the South China Sea.
The confrontation comes amid already heightened tensions between Manila and Beijing, with the Philippines strengthening military cooperation with the United States and other regional partners while repeatedly accusing China of increasingly assertive activity in disputed waters.
